PluginSift

Firelight Lightbox vs Improved GD Image Editor (2026)

Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.

Firelight Lightbox

Firelight Lightbox

4.8(331)

200K+ active installs

Free + Premium

Updated 3 weeks ago
View Firelight Lightbox
VS
Improved GD Image Editor

Improved GD Image Editor

0(0)

10 active installs

Free

Updated 11 years ago
View Improved GD Image Editor

Quick Verdict

As of April 2026, Firelight Lightbox has a higher user rating (4.8/5 from 331 reviews) and leads in active installations (200K+ vs 10). Both are free + premium WordPress plugins. Firelight Lightbox has accumulated 7.6M+ total downloads while Improved GD Image Editor has 2.3K+.

Detailed Comparison

Rating
4.8/5Firelight Lightbox
◄
Improved GD Image EditorN/A
Total Reviews
331Firelight Lightbox
◄
Improved GD Image Editor0
Active Installs
200K+Firelight Lightbox
◄
Improved GD Image Editor10
Total Downloads
7.6M+Firelight Lightbox
◄
Improved GD Image Editor2.3K+
Support Resolution
43%Firelight Lightbox
Improved GD Image EditorN/A
Last Updated
3 weeks agoFirelight Lightbox
◄
Improved GD Image Editor11 years ago
First Released
2010Firelight Lightbox
Improved GD Image Editor2013
Age
16 yearsFirelight Lightbox
Improved GD Image Editor13 years
WP Requires
5.0+Firelight Lightbox
Improved GD Image Editor3.5+
PHP Requires
7.0+Firelight Lightbox
Improved GD Image Editorfalse+
Business Model
Free + PremiumFirelight Lightbox
Improved GD Image EditorFree
Latest Version
2.3.19Firelight Lightbox
Improved GD Image Editor1.1

Rating Breakdown

Firelight Lightbox

4.8/5(331 reviews)
5
90%
4
5%
3
2%
2
0%
1
3%

Improved GD Image Editor

0/5(0 reviews)
5
0%
4
0%
3
0%
2
0%
1
0%

Recent Reviews

Firelight Lightbox Reviews

by rugger86

Very good

Recommend

by FinnDorian

Doesn’t work with sunshine photo cart

I’m using the gallery Plugin “sunshine photo cart” and it does not convert image links into a lightbox gallery. I am sick of using/adjusting 5 different lightbox plugins, because every gallery uses it

by Andreas Lanz

Increases the value of a photo blog

The plugin works perfect and with a beautiful, but discreet animation. I’d prefer having the possibility to force the browser via the settings to show the images in their original size if they are

Improved GD Image Editor Reviews

No reviews yet

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Firelight Lightbox or Improved GD Image Editor more popular?
Firelight Lightbox has 200K+ active installations while Improved GD Image Editor has 10. Firelight Lightbox is the more widely-used plugin as of April 2026.
Which has better ratings — Firelight Lightbox or Improved GD Image Editor?
Firelight Lightbox has a 4.8/5 rating from 331 reviews, while Improved GD Image Editor has a 0/5 rating from 0 reviews.
Are Firelight Lightbox and Improved GD Image Editor free?
Firelight Lightbox is free + premium and Improved GD Image Editor is free. Both can be downloaded from the WordPress.org plugin directory.
Which plugin has better support — Firelight Lightbox or Improved GD Image Editor?
Support resolution data is not available for all plugins. Check each plugin's WordPress.org support forum for current response quality.
Which plugin is updated more frequently?
Firelight Lightbox was last updated 3 weeks ago and Improved GD Image Editor was last updated 11 years ago.

Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.